Jennie recently made her acting debut in the HBO drama series 'The Idol'. Photo: AP
Blackpink fans are concerned over singer Jennie’s health after she left midway during a concert in Australia on Sunday.
The K-pop girl group, who are on their Born Pink World Tour, held two shows in Melbourne over the weekend.
According to several accounts by fans on social media, Jennie, 27, departed abruptly in the middle of the group’s performance of the song Lovesick Girls. She was seen taking the stairs down from the stage and then being escorted backstage by security personnel.
Bandmate Rose later addressed Jennie’s absence during the concert, updating the crowd that they will proceed with the rest of the show without Jennie.
“We’re so sad that we can’t have her with us today because she was so excited to be in Melbourne. And I’m sure she’s feeling really, really upset backstage,” Rose said. “But all our hearts go (out) to her so that she feels better quickly. But most of all, we’re just really, really sad that we can’t enjoy this moment with her.”
Blackpink’s agency YG Entertainment also issued a statement in English on fan platform Weverse later on Sunday, saying that Jennie could not complete the concert due to her “deteriorating condition”, and asked fans for their understanding.
“Jennie expressed her strong determination to carry on with the performance until the end. However, following medical advice on site, we immediately took measures to ensure she receives ample rest and stability,” YG said in the statement.
“Jennie has conveyed her regrets for not being able to stay with the fans until the end, and assures that she will recover as soon as possible.”
Blackpink are slated to perform in Sydney on Friday and Saturday.
Jennie recently made her acting debut in the HBO drama series The Idol – which is available on HBO Go – as Dyanne, one of the backup dancers of aspiring pop star Jocelyn (played by Lily-Rose Depp).
According to an article in the New York Times (NYT), Jennie is the only reason some viewers are tuning in to the widely panned show.
Clips abound on the Internet praising her performance. In one widely circulated scene, Dyanne shows Jocelyn how to do the choreography for her new single.
The K-pop idol – clad in a slightly ripped midriff top, black sports bra and high-waisted booty shorts – struts, poses, grinds, pops, locks and drops. Later, Jocelyn can be seen watching and wiping her tears over her failure to embody Dyanne’s indomitable stage presence.
“Jennie’s acting was very good for what her character was,” Greta Dobson, a 27-year-old student in Brooklyn, told NYT. “It seems like it almost felt natural for her since she always has to do this for dance rehearsals. It must have been so meta for her.”
Within hours after The Idol premiered on June 5, a TikTok account (@d4jenn) posted seven “fancam” videos of nearly all the scenes in which Jennie was featured in the show’s pilot.
But many fans hope the first season, which consists of six episodes, will provide her side character with more screen time, said managing producer Ko Im, 37, from Seattle. “They barely gave her lines she could really own.”
She added: “We need to see that main character energy she already has.”
Jennie may indeed return to acting on a bigger platform – if resurfaced rumours of her joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe are to be believed.
According to South Korean media outlet Dispatch, she could be part of the first Asian superhero team, Agents of Atlas, playing Seol Hee, also known as Luna Snow, a K-pop star with ice manipulation powers. – The Straits Times/Asia News Network
